Which possible GOP presidential hopeful is ISIS quoting in an article on comments from its enemies?

— As he prepares for a likely presidential bid, former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum has been outspoken about the threats that he sees from militants calling themselves the Islamic State.

It turns out, the militants have been listening.

In the latest issue of a magazine produced by the organization, Islamic State militants quoted Santorum under the headline, "In the words of the enemy."

The article describes Santorum as a "Catholic crusader and American politician." It quotes his comments from a February Fox News interview in which he talked about the group's intention to gain even more territory.

"They are dead serious about expanding it," Santorum said of ISIS. "Unless we begin to take back that ground and make this caliphate just irrelevant in the eyes of the radical Muslim world, we are going to have a bigger and bigger problem."

The article also includes comments from former CIA officer and author Gary Berntsen and Virginia state Sen. Richard Black, whom the Washington Post described as a state official who frequently speaks out on international affairs.

For Santorum — who lags in early 2016 presidential polls but recently added staffers to his Patriot Voices political action committee and is visiting key primary states along with the rest of the wide-open Republican field — the glossy magazine spread could be seen as a compliment. He's struggled to break into the top tier of candidates aiming to succeed President Barack Obama, but the terrorist organization that he has targeted now is highlighting him as the face of the enemy.

"Each of these presidential candidates is trying to find their niche in the political marketplace, and Santorum is going to do whatever he can to try to raise his profile," said G. Terry Madonna, a political scientist at Franklin & Marshall College in Lancaster.

The article gives Santorum a chance to say, 'Look, they're taking me seriously,' as he attempts to connect with GOP voters who are particularly concerned about foreign policy, Madonna added.

Santorum's campaign staffers did not respond to a request for comment Wednesday. In an appearance on "Fox and Friends" Wednesday morning, Santorum appeared to view the piece as an endorsement of the truth behind his message.

"I took it as them actually finding an American politician who described them as they really are," Santorum said, adding that he believes the Obama administration has been unwilling to address the growing threat from ISIS.

While he's had harsh words when it comes to describing the danger posed by Islamic State militants, Santorum did commend their journalism skills.

Asked by the Fox host about his reaction to finding out that he was quoted by a terrorist group and not a mainstream media outlet, Santorum replied, "The difference is ISIS actually quoted me accurately compared to the New York Times."